Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is now accepting registrations for the first series about Restorative Practices. There are four sessions in this series: Monday, October 25, Tuesday, November 16, Wednesday, December 1, and Thursday, December 2. All sessions will take place at Mid-Ohio ESC, 890 W. Fourth St., Mansfield. These sessions will be facilitated by Ang Fetter, Mid-Ohio ESC Educational Consultant and an International Institute for Restorative Practice (IIRP) trained instructor. 

Implementation of Restorative Practices (RP) meets the required aspects of the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Domain as outlined within the Ohio Department of Education "#Each Child, Our Future" strategic plan. SEL is critical for both students and adults when working toward building community, resolving conflict, and repairing harm - all of which are essential elements of RP. With relationships and community at the heart of RP, implementation of this approach provides multiple opportunities to develop, practice, and reinforce all five SEL competencies: 

• Self-Awareness
• Management 
• Social Awareness, 
• Relationship Skills, and 
• Responsible Decision-Making.

 
The series costs $60 to attend for participants from member districts and $260 for non-member participants. Registration can be completed online at http://www.moesc.net/register. For those unable to attend this series, a second series will be held in the spring.

Kelly Britton, consultant at Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center and coach for the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant, will be trained for a week in November in Cary, North Carolina, at the SAS Institute to finalize her training as a Regional Data Lead for Ohio.
 
Regional Data Leads (RDL) are educators across the state who are highly trained to analyze educational data. The goal of an RDL is to assist districts, schools, and individuals to use detailed reports on student progress and achievement. Reports include achievement data from Ohio’s State Tests, Value-Added student progress reports, district and building success criteria, subgroup reporting, data collected by the Ohio Improvement Process, and other sources of information. Having a deep understanding of data metrics and Ohio’s Value Added data, which are used by all Ohio school districts, Britton will enable educators to make sound decisions about instruction, assessment, intervention, and enrichment to better meet the needs of all students. 
 
“I am excited to gain a comprehensive understanding of Value-Added and how it can be used to improve instruction for students,” said Britton. “I hope this deeper dive allows me to grow as an educator and coach districts to advance their student growth and achievement.  Earning the Gauging Student Readiness credential as part of the Regional Data Lead training has allowed me to develop the skills needed to train educators to use Ohio’s data tools, such as the Restart Readiness Assessment site, effectively.”
 
Britton joins Lynn Meister, Director of Teaching and Learning, as Mid-Ohio’s trained Data Leads. As other Regional Data Lead trainings become available from the state in 2022, Mid-Ohio will send two additional consultants to build its cadre of data analysts.

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, there is a critical shortage in school psychology. Shortages in school psychology have the potential to significantly undermine the availability of high quality services to students, families, and schools. In the same vein, the demand for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is rising, with projected job growth at 21% through 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet a shortage of SLPs has put the squeeze on schools and healthcare organizations.  In order to mitigate these problems in the local area, Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center created the Mid-Ohio School Psychology Development Program and the Speech Language Pathology Development Program.

These programs will encourage interested graduate students to pursue a career in school psychology or speech pathology with Mid-Ohio ESC. Successful applicants will have their tuition paid for the duration of the program. In exchange for the applicant’s tuition being paid for during graduate school, they agree to work for Mid-Ohio ESC for five years once they become fully licensed. 

Mid-Ohio ESC is currently accepting applications for both programs. There are 2 slots available inside of each program. In order to apply, candidates will have applied and can provide proof of acceptance in an accredited speech language or school psychology grad program in an institute of higher education of their choosing. They must then email Jennifer Crum and Megan Shook at crum.jennifer@moesc.net and  shook.megan@moesc.net to request the application packet from Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center no later than November 15, 2021.
 
Calls for interviews with the Mid-Ohio Program Committee will be made by December 15, 2021. Mid-Ohio ESC will notify successful candidates, in writing, of candidates’ entrance into the program. Mid-Ohio ESC will develop contracts with the successful candidate(s) and recommend to the Board of Education for approval. 
 
Jennifer Crum, Director of Student Services said, “Our efforts to recruit candidates, especially those who reside within our regional school districts, offer a promising approach to consistently develop a healthy workforce of school psychologists and speech language pathologists and meet critical shortages within our region.”

High Quality Student Data

Local Decision Points for Districts Regarding HQSD

Many school districts are planning and preparing for the use of HQSD as part of OTES 2.0 and more importantly, for use in school improvement initiatives. 

Mid-Ohio is offering districts an opportunity to explore the implementation of HQSD in OTES 2.0, local decision points allowed within the evaluation system, and the requirements of local decision teams.  School districts are encouraged to send a team of decision makers to Mid-Ohio to receive supports and guidance in the implementation of HQSD. 

Who: District Leadership Teams

When: January 10, 2022

Training Time: 8:30 am - 11:30 am

Team Time/Workshop: 12:30 am - 3:00 pm

Location: 890 West Fourth Street, Mansfield Ohio 44906

Cost: Client: No Fee/Non-Client: $150 per team

Click here to register

Click here for flyer

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center’s Teaching and Learning Department is presenting a new opportunity for independent professional development. This book study will utilize the book 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions by Margaret S. Smith and Mary Kay Stein. Participants have the option of two sessions, utilizing Google Classroom. The Fall Session starts October 4th and lasts through December 10th. The Summer Session starts June 6, 2022 and lasts through August 12, 2022. 

The book outlines five practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions for K-12 classroom math teachers, efficiently blending Ohio’s standards for mathematical practice and the content standards. Teachers who learn how to guide students through these five practices have greater success in maintaining a high level of rigor and engagement for all students, and students who are encouraged and taught how to have productive mathematical discussions grow in their ability to reason mathematically as well as gaining confidence to tackle everyday non-routine math problems. During this book study, teachers will gain practical, useful ways to immediately impact student achievement through weekly assignments.

Leanna Ferreira, Gifted and Mathematics Consultant and one of the facilitators of the book study, said she wants every mathematics teacher to have this in their toolbox. “If only I had had this resource in my hands while in the math classroom earlier in my career, I believe that I would have been able to more effectively impact students’ ability to think mathematically and make connections beyond those that I facilitated!” 

Ally Schleichert, Mathematics Consultant and the other facilitator for the book study, said, "This book has been an eye opener of pretty basic concepts that I never considered as a classroom teacher. I'm not sure why the concepts outlined in this book never occurred to me, but every Mathematics teacher needs to read this book. It will help teachers be more proactive in their classrooms, ensuring that students obtain the content in a manner that unfolds mathematical understanding and conversations in a way that is more curated than accidental."

Interested educators can sign up at www.moesc.net/register. Registration is limited to the first 50 participants for each season. The deadline for the Fall 2021 session is September 30th, and the deadline for the Summer 2022 session is June 1, 2022. The cost is $100. Credit from Ashland University is available at an additional cost. Anyone with questions about the book study or registration can contact Leanna Ferreira at ferreira.leanna@moesc.net.

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is proud to announce another session of the Ohio Resident Educator Mentor Training on October 14th and 21st, which will be held virtually. This new session was added due to the number of participants on a waiting list. This training provides educators with opportunities to reflect on how their instruction and assessment practices impact student learning. This system of support includes working with a state-certified mentor. 

This is a hybrid training, requiring participants to access both the ODE Learning Management System and the Zoom meetings held by Mid-Ohio ESC. In order to be certified as a Resident Educator mentor, participants will engage in eight hours of self-guided online work over a two-week period and participate in two 2-hour Zoom meetings. An optional 60-minute virtual orientation meeting will be held on October 7, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. Access information will be forwarded to all participants in an email with other course materials and information.

The first day introduces participants to mentoring in Ohio’s Resident Educator Program, with particular emphasis on the Mentor/Resident Educator relationship. During the second day, educators are introduced to first year curricular responsibilities of instructional mentors and Resident Educators in Ohio’s Resident Educator Program. Both days of training will start at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m.

The training will be conducted by ODE Resident Educator Credentialed Trainers Linda Williams and Lisa Kuhar. Interested teachers can sign up via STARS on the Ohio Department of Education website. If you need help registering, contact STARS.SUPPORT@education.ohio.gov. The cost is $125. Participants must also email their name and training dates to Linda Williams at lwilliamsmentoracademy@gmail.com in order to receive important information regarding online work that is required prior to the first web-meeting date. 

Behavior problems at school interfere with lessons and disturb other students. These problems often overwhelm teachers, particularly new teachers, and some consider them the most difficult aspect of a teacher’s work day. Children who exhibit behavior problems invariably require extra attention, which places strain on teachers and slows the pace at which lessons are offered and completed.

Dealing with behavioral issues requires a large base of knowledge, from understanding the classroom climate to understanding mental health issues and how trauma affects students. In order to help teachers and administrators, Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center employs a behavioral team to offer support and coaching. The team has now added two new professional development opportunities and subsequent coaching support to build professional capacity to most effectively assess, address and improve student outcomes.

Structured Systems 4 Student Success is a two-day training to support educators in their creation of a highly successful learning environment for students with disabilities. Educators will learn strategies to increase learning, communication, socialization and overall educational success for the student.  The leading principles of the training incorporate the systemic, evidence-based instructional framework that uses visual supports to provide student meaning, promote independence, while capitalizing on the strengths of the child. Ang Fetter, Educational Consultant, will be offering this training September 27-30, 2021 and January 18-21, 2022. 
 
Educational Consultant Ann Pfister will be presenting the Trauma-Informed Resilience-Focused Professional Development Series. Being a trauma-informed resilience-focused school provides the depth of knowledge and skill set to address social/emotional learning for students. Resilience can be taught, then nurtured and developed. Educators will learn critical skills and gain numerous resources for building resilience in students, understand trauma at its core, and the impact it can have on a person's education and life. Educators will also learn new classroom management and engagement strategies to support a trauma-informed resilient classroom. Pfister explained, “Educators do not intentionally traumatize students, but some common classroom practices may be a trigger that exacerbate behaviors related to past or current trauma.” 
 
There are three sets of sessions in the series:
Trauma Informed Resilient Schools • Session 1: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 • Session 2: Friday, October 15, 2021 
Resetting for Resilience • Session 1: Monday, November 8, 2021 • Session 2: Tuesday, December 7, 2021 
Healing Trauma and Restoring Resilience • Session 1: Thursday, January 27, 2022 • Session 2: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 
 
In addition to the new offerings, Cathy Csanyi, in collaboration with the Behavior Support Team, continues to support the needs of MOESC districts relative to Ohio Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and each district’s requirement to implement a PBIS framework system-wide.
 
Ohio law states each school district must provide professional development or continuing education in Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to:
1. Any of the district's teachers who teach in buildings that serve students in any of grades prekindergarten through three and who completed a teacher preparation program prior to 2018; and
2. All of the district's administrators who serve students in any of grades pre-kindergarten through three, including the school district superintendent, building principals, and assistant principals, who have not already completed a course of instruction, professional development, or continuing education in positive behavior intervention and supports.
 
Ohio rule extends these professional development requirements stating districts will provide professional development on PBIS to student personnel at least every three years. Professional development can be provided by a building or district PBIS Leadership Team or an appropriate state, regional, or national source in collaboration with the building or district positive behavior intervention and supports leadership team. 
 
Anyone interested in accessing any of the support from the Behavioral Support Team from Mid-Ohio ESC or with questions about fees and registration for the professional development can contact Director of Student Services Jennifer Crum at 419-774-5520. Registration can be completed online at http://www.moesc.net/register.